Because if we're unlucky, Scott will think in the final seconds of his life as he watches the world burn "I could have tried harder and worried less about my reputation".
I don't think it's a matter of being worried about reputation. Making credible predictions and rigorous analysis is important in all scenarios. If superintelligence really strikes in 2027, I feel like AI 2027 would be right only by coincidence, and would probably only have detracted from safety engineering efforts in the process.
mitthrowaway2|8 months ago